Perfect Strangers
by Shannon7
Summary: This was a favour to a friend, so… The plot is her idea. It’s set around whichever episode of Angel that Faith comes back, but before Bring on the Night in Buffy. One night, Faith and Kennedy end up in a bar together.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Perfect Strangers. Author: Shannon (mighty_minnie_mouse@hotmail.com) Pairing: Faith/Kennedy, slight Willow/Kennedy and Buffy/Faith... And I actually think a little Dawn/Amanda! I honestly didn't mean that part, lol. Rating: PG-13. Edging on R for mention of sexual scenes. Summary: This was a favour to a friend, so. The plot is her idea. It's set around whichever episode of Angel that Faith comes back, but before Bring on the Night in Buffy. (I'm pretty sure those time lines clash, but whatever.) One night, Faith and Kennedy end up a nightclub together. Notes: This is the first time I've written anything without Willow as a main character. So, yeah. Little tough.  
  
***  
  
Chapter One  
  
As Faith walked down LA's main street, she wondered what the hell she was doing here. Sure, helping out with Angel. But really, what was she doing out of jail. She went there for a reason; to make amends for all the crimes she committed. She couldn't very well do it out of jail, could she? She looked down at herself, and saw a red low-cut top, with her trademark leather pants. She hadn't changed a bit. Developed a conscience maybe, but her actions, her mannerisms, her dress style even? Not a bit. She crossed her arms, and looked to her right. The nightclub she'd gone to, when she first came to LA after the body-switch incident. She smiled in spite of herself, and stood in front of the door, just lost in thought. She took a moment to glance at her watch, which read 9:15 pm. Not late at all. She took a quick glance around again, and figured nothing huge would happen. Just for an hour.  
  
Just an hour.  
  
***  
  
The bar was pretty full. Young faces in a long line, spanning around a hundred metres. Kennedy looked up and down the line, and onto the dance floor full of gyrating bodies and pretty girls. But did one of them, just one spark her interest? Nope. Kennedy had always known she'd been into girls - Or, at least, not into guys. She'd not really had a girlfriend; but unless she was asexual, she was fairly certain she was a lesbian. She tossed her head back, finished the rest of her last date's Tequila, and got ready to leave.  
  
Got ready to leave, until she saw her. A girl who had just entered. She had dark, curly hair and equally dark, mysterious eyes.  
  
And damn, was she hot.  
  
"What the hell," she muttered to herself.  
  
***  
  
Faith walked into the club tentatively, and looked around for any signs of the people she'd not quite made friends with last time she was here. Not seeing them, she let out a sigh, and walked towards the bar. She could see a girl coming towards her, and raised an eyebrow.  
  
Admittedly, Faith had been into experimentation, once upon a time. But not since. Not for a while. But this girl. She was something else. Different, somehow.  
  
"Hey," the girl spoke, "I'm Kennedy. I was wondering. And you know, you can totally kick my ass if I'm out of line here,"  
  
That would be amusing.  
  
"But," she continued, "Could I buy you a drink?"  
  
This girl, this. Kennedy. She had this innocence to her. And she looked. young. Faith would have to look into that later, 'cause there's no way she was going to jail for sleeping with a minor, and not for murdering people.  
  
"Sure." Simple, direct. And hey, she didn't come off sounding all gruff. Definitely plus.  
  
"So," Kennedy ventured, "What's your name?"  
  
"Oh, right. It's Faith. I uh. I've never really." Faith began the sentence, but didn't really know how to finish.  
  
"Oh no, it's totally ok. Me either. Besides, I'm just. It's just a drink." Kennedy blushed, and hoped Faith wouldn't notice.  
  
"Oh. Oh! No, no I didn't mean that, I've done that, I just meant. Never really met a nice girl, and been nice to her." Faith noticed the somewhat shocked look on Kennedy's face, and backtracked. "Oh no, I didn't mean that I'm going to be completely. Oh, crap. I'm just- I'm sorry."  
  
Kennedy touched her shoulder gently, "It's ok. I knew what you meant. What would you like to drink?"  
  
"Umm. Rum, please."  
  
"Okay. Um. But you'll kind of have to order. I'm not 21." Kennedy blushed, as Faith laughed slightly.  
  
Kennedy watched Faith as she ordered their drinks, and became fascinated with her lips. They way they moved across each other as she spoke, then the way her tongue darted out to wet them as they became dry with speech.  
  
"So," came Faith's voice, as Kennedy snapped out of her illusion.  
  
Kennedy smiled, and thought of a question to ask. "What do you like to do?"  
  
"Well. This doesn't suck." Faith said with a small smile. She was tempted to say slaying, but figured that might not go down too well. "What do you like to do?"  
  
Kennedy pondered the question, "Well. I like fighting. Not like, gang- fighting. But sparring, sort of. Play-fighting."  
  
Faith nodded slowly, and Kennedy reached over to the bartender, who had just handed them their drinks. Kennedy had ordered some red, punch-y type thing with a straw, and had begun to drink from it.  
  
Faith thought she'd ought to get a serviette before she began to drool.  
  
Luckily, Kennedy looked up from her drink, and flashed a smile a Faith. "So, you said you'd. Uh, done stuff before. What kind of stuff?"  
  
Faith was a little taken aback, but recovered quickly. "Nothing much, really. There was just a girl I once knew. She was. Well, we didn't part well." Faith looked down into her drink, and took a small sip.  
  
"I'm sorry," Kennedy said softly, and took Faith's hand in hers. "How long ago?"  
  
"I saw her about 3 years ago. But I left Sunnydale four years ago."  
  
"Sunnydale," Kennedy repeated. "I know that place. My watc- my teacher, he's taking me there. On a field trip." She added quickly, off Faith's look.  
  
"Funny place to go for a field trip." Faith looked at her quizzically, but shrugged the feeling off. "Do you. Want to dance, maybe?"  
  
Kennedy looked at from her drink, and smiled at Faith.  
  
"Sure," she said, as she stood up from the bar.  
  
Faith took Kennedy's hand in hers as they walked to the dance floor. They slowed their pace as they drew nearer, and began to wonder the best way to dance to Cyndi Lauper's True Colours. Kennedy tentatively placed her hands on Faith's hips, and Faith's arms around Kennedy's neck, as they swayed in time to the music.  
  
Kennedy allowed her fingers to trace lazy swirls over the small patch of flesh that she could feel between the fabric of Faith's pants and shirt. They felt their foreheads touch slightly, as they leaned into each other slightly. Faith wrapped her arms tighter around the younger girl's shoulders, and sighed happily.  
  
Faith leaned in closer to Kennedy and whispered to her, "How old are you?"  
  
Not the most romantic sentence, but it was important.  
  
"I'm nineteen," she whispered back, "I'm legal."  
  
"Good," said Faith, "Cause. Then. I can do this."  
  
Faith leaned in closer, and moved her hands to Kennedy's back. She tilted her chin, and their lips connected. It was as if they'd spent hours together - But it had just been twenty minutes. Faith was on fire as she and Kennedy stood, no longer swaying; just still, their lips moving back and forth over each other with a passion that neither of them had felt - Faith not in a while, and Kennedy ever. Nothing was around them, everything was simple. Everything was just the two of them. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two  
  
15th April, 2003  
  
Faith wandered though the Summers' house, standing tall. 'Come on, Faith,' she thought to herself, 'No time for sentimental crap, these people all hate you.'  
  
Oh yeah, that made her feel better.  
  
Besides, all these Slayer wannabe's didn't even know her, so she needed to make a good, tough impression on them.  
  
There, that's better. Tough façade; in place.  
  
"Oh my gosh," Faith heard a girl whisper, who sounded strangely familiar.  
  
"Wha-" Faith stopped dead in her tracks. It was. It was Kennedy.  
  
"Are you the Slayer we've all been hearing so much about?"  
  
"Are you a potential?"  
  
The two girls exclaimed to each other at once, then Faith smiled and blushed a little.  
  
"I'm sorry. How have you been? All. Slayer-like."  
  
"I've been. Good. Good." Kennedy looked behind her shoulder nervously. "I, um. I need to get some lunch. It was nice seeing you again, Faith!"  
  
Faith watched the younger girl retreat quickly to the kitchen, and sat down on the couch thinking, as Willow came into the room.  
  
"Faith? What do you look so worried about? Anyone would think you were concerned about something." Willow joked, hoping to get some kind of reaction. It was no fun talking to Faith when she was sitting like a stone.  
  
"What? Uh, no. No! I'm- I'm fine. Fine."  
  
"O. kay." Willow quirked an eyebrow. "Have you seen Kennedy? Cute girl, dark hair."  
  
"Yeah. Yeah. Went into the kitchen. Said she wanted something to eat."  
  
Willow walked toward the kitchen, giggling and muttering to herself. "Could have just asked me."  
  
Faith turned back to staring at her hands, as she tried to process what Willow just said. Willow would've gotten Kennedy lunch? She shook her head clear of any thoughts as she felt the couch sink lower beside her, and a hand being placed on her back.  
  
"Faith? Something wrong?"  
  
Faith jumped a little at the sound of Buffy's voice. "No. I'm fine. Just a little. Um, reminiscent."  
  
"About?"  
  
"Stuff." Faith kept staring at her hands, trying not to blink.  
  
"Yeah. Me too."  
  
Faith turned around quickly. "What?"  
  
"You know. With. Everything. When you first came here. How you left."  
  
"Buffy?" Faith asked tentatively.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I'm sorry." Faith sighed; after all these years, she'd never actually gotten the words out. She'd tried, and she'd said it without meaning - But she'd never said it in full, and meant it. It felt good. Like she'd accomplished something.  
  
"I know you are. Me too." Buffy leaned over, and gave the formerly badass Slayer a hug. "I've gotta go give another somewhat depressing speech," Buffy said, half-joking, "You wanna come?"  
  
Faith gave her a half smile, "Sure, sounds like fun." Both girls stood up, and made their way to the kitchen, where they assumed all the potentials would be. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three  
  
(A/N: I used Australian cereals in this, because they were the only ones I could think of. So sue me ;) I don't know which ones, if any, are sold in the U.S. But, whatever. Giles had them shipped in... Explain it any way you want.)  
  
Faith looked up at the clock in the living room, which read 10:02 pm. Most of the other girls were asleep, having tired themselves out. Presumably from all the girly-talk, Faith guessed. Faith had spent the night getting dirty looks from Dawn, and disapproving glances from Giles. The guy had a pretty good 'I-look-down-on-you' face for someone who was into the Dark Arts. What was the saying? People in glass houses shouldn't throw disapproving looks? Something like that.  
  
Looking around, Faith noticed that she was alone in the living room, except for a few sleeping min-Slayers, so she started up the stairs to Buffy's room, whose bed she was sharing. Whoever suggested she slept with Buffy must have been insane. Even if they didn't know her and B's history, they at least knew that they weren't exactly fond of each other, nor did they part on excellent terms. Sure, they were fine now - Earlier in the night has made sure of that. But before that? Faith was surprised that this was the gang that everyone trusted to save the world.  
  
As Faith reached the top of the stairs, she heard some kind of noise, coming from Willow's room. The kind of noises that one should not be listening in on.  
  
'At least someone's getting lucky,' Faith thought, as she continued on her way to Buffy's room.  
  
"Wait a sec." Faith said aloud, as she considered the situation. There were exactly three members of the male sex in this house. Giles, Xander, and that Spike guy. Faith counted them off in her head - If Will was having sex with Giles, then Faith refused to associate with either of them anymore. If it was Spike, she could guess that Buffy wouldn't be very happy - Because she was obviously head-over-heels for him. Xander was the only plausible answer, but he had that thing going with. That blunt girl. Emma? Enya? No, Anya. That only left Buffy - Which was a no, because Buffy was asleep, Anya - Who was also asleep, or one of the potentials. But there were hundreds of them.  
  
So the only question that remained was... Who was Willow gettin' it on with?  
  
***  
  
Faith yawned, and tried to stretch as she woke up the next morning. Her hand was abruptly stopped by Buffy's head being rudely in the way.  
  
"Oh, geez Buffy, I'm sorry!" Faith exclaimed, as the blonde slayer's eyes fluttered open.  
  
"Good morning to you too, Faith." Buffy joked, as she rubbed her eyes free of any evidence that she had just woken up, and propped herself up onto her elbows.  
  
"Morning. Did I hurt you?" Faith looked at the side of Buffy's head, as if expecting it to swell to twice it's size in a matter of seconds.  
  
"Nope," Buffy said brightly. "Slayer, remember?"  
  
"Yeah, well so I am! I'm strong!"  
  
Buffy couldn't help but giggle. The brunette had done almost a complete turn from badass murderer, to cute little girl. It was fun to watch, and Buffy had to admit that even though she had loved the old Faith - This one was much more fun.  
  
"Maybe we should get downstairs. I'm sure the potentials will be running amok." Buffy suggested.  
  
"Right, right sure." Faith's mind drifted back to the night before. She was curious by nature, and wondered if having a talk with Willow would be the way to go. On the other hand, if it was Giles... Faith wasn't really sure if she wanted to know. Curiosity eventually won her over though, and she decided that once she had eaten breakfast, and Giles had taken the potentials to some training program, that she would sit down with Willow, and approach the subject.  
  
After Buffy and Faith had both taken a quick shower, (Not together,) they came downstairs and were greeted by a full-fledged cereal fight. The victims (Or were they the criminals?) were Dawn, Amanda, Kennedy, Molly and Vi. Dawn and Amanda had their Fruit Loops handy, Kennedy had her Coco-Pops and Molly and Vi had Cornflakes, with banana. Dawn and Amanda were giggling incessantly, and had banana and milk all through their hair. Kennedy was grinning, with a handful of Coco-Pops, ready to throw them at whoever threw any more cereal at her, and Molly and Vi were both staring each other down, both trying to keep a straight face. Both girls had milk-streaked faces. Willow was standing back from them a little, trying extremely hard not to laugh. Willow spotted Buffy and Faith, and quickly stopped grinning, and tried to assert some authority.  
  
"Uhh, come on girls! No time for food fights." She flashed Buffy and Faith a nervous smile, and Kennedy turned around to face Willow.  
  
"Awww, come on. Just a few minut-" Kennedy stopped short when she turned back around, and noticed Buffy and Faith standing the doorway, looking amused. Kennedy promptly dropped her cereal back in her bowl, and smiled weakly.  
  
"Hey Buffy. Faith. How you guys doing?"  
  
"Better, now." Buffy said, a smile threatening to cross her features. "I was awoken abruptly by a hand smacking into the side of my head-"  
  
"You said that didn't hurt!" Faith protested.  
  
"But my faith in fun has now been restored." Buffy continued, grinning at Faith's protests. "Why don't you girls go get cleaned up?" Buffy watched her sister suspiciously as she and Amanda ran off holding hands. She'd need to look into that, later.  
  
"I have to go and help Giles with preparations for the training session." Buffy announced. "Will you guys be okay to clean up?"  
  
"What?!" Faith and Willow exclaimed, at the same time.  
  
"I wasn't even here! Why do I need to clean?"  
  
"It's not my fault I'm in a house of hormonal teenage girls! Why do I have to clean?"  
  
"What are you guys, five?" Buffy grinned, glad to get out of clean-up duty herself. "Grab a washcloth, or a mop, or something. Make it look like you're cleaning, at least." With the last comment, Buffy went to find Giles.  
  
"I claim the washcloth!" Willow said quickly. Faith looked in the direction of the stairs, and considered going to find the mop. No, that wasn't going to happen.  
  
"Well... Then I'm drying." Faith nodded, pleased with herself. Now might actually be a good time for that little talk she had planned. "Will, can I ask you something?"  
  
"Sure thing. Unless it's about anything that you think I wouldn't like to talk about."  
  
Faith considered this.  
  
"Nah, I don't think you'll mind."  
  
"Okay, shoot." Willow started running the tap, making the water in the sink nice and hot as Faith decided on how to word her question.  
  
"Did you sleep well last night?"  
  
"Um... Yes? Was that your question?"  
  
Well, that hadn't worked.  
  
"No, that wasn't the question. Okay, I'm just going to ask straight-out. Were you having sex last night?"  
  
Willow coughed, and looked at Faith with wide eyes. "What the hell happened to 'nothing that I wouldn't like to talk about'?!"  
  
"Hey, you're a grown woman, so am I. Why would you not want to talk about it?" Faith smiled sweetly.  
  
"Because... Uh, I don't know, actually. Taboo subject?"  
  
"In the 21st century? Hardly."  
  
"Okay, fine." Willow sighed. "Yeah. I was."  
  
"Please don't tell me it was Giles." Faith shuddered inwardly at the thought.  
  
"Gi... What?! No! I... Ew! Faith!" Willow continued to freak out a little bit, before Faith justified her thoughts.  
  
"I was going through all the guys that were here! There's only like, three? Who else would it be?"  
  
"Uh, guys?" Willow pondered the statement. Guys? Nah.  
  
"Well, I went though the girls too, but I doubt that you were sleeping with Buffy or Anya."  
  
"And you didn't think of my girlfriend?"  
  
"Your what-now?"  
  
"My girlfriend. Kennedy!"  
  
"Kennedy's your... Oh, God."  
  
Everything froze in Faith's world. Willow and Kennedy... She was... They were... Oh, God.  
  
"Uh, Faith? Faaaith. " Willow was waving her hand in front of Faith's face. "Hello? Anyone in there?"  
  
"Uh, yeah. I... I gotta go." Faith turned, and began to run up the stairs, leaving a confused Willow behind her. 


End file.
